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Making society sustainable - International Museum Day

About 1,800 exhibition centers in Germany will be holding special events for the 38th International Museum Day, held this year on Sunday May 17. The event's theme is "Museums for a sustainable society."

Last September the Hessisches Landesmuseum in Darmstadt reopened

Museums do not want their image to be associated with dusty old documents and paintings. They should aim to convey the idea that cultural heritage "not only has a price, but a value," says the President of the Museums Association Eckart Köhne. "Museums help us understand society," he adds.

Admission is free in most of the participating exhibition houses. Special guided tours, for instance behind the scenes, along with different workshops, activities and lectures are planned for that day.

The Museum Day, initiated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), takes place around the world every year in May. It seeks to promote the importance and diversity of exhibition spaces. According to ICOM, 35,000 museums in 145 countries participated in the event last year.

A central launching event in Germany will be held at the Hessisches Landesmuseum in Darmstadt. It has recently been completely renovated for around 80 million euros (almost $91 million).